Pharmacological treatment within 1 year from discharge in patients hospitalised for acute aortic dissection in Sweden, comparing the two 5 year periods 2006–2010 and 2011–2015
| 2006–2010 (n=1416) | 2011–2015 (n=1630) | P value | |
| Any antihypertensive drug | 1366 (97%) | 1573 (97%) | 0.959 |
| 0 antihypertensive | 50 (4%) | 57 (4%) | 0.959 |
| 1 antihypertensive | 92 (7%) | 93 (6%) | 0.362 |
| 2 antihypertensives | 259 (18%) | 259 (16%) | 0.078 |
| 3 antihypertensives | 397 (28%) | 430 (26%) | 0.305 |
| ≥4 antihypertensives | 615 (43%) | 790 (49%) | 0.005 |
| Beta blocker | 1285 (91%) | 1456 (89%) | 0.192 |
| Calcium channel blocker | 1035 (73%) | 1256 (77%) | 0.012 |
| ACE inhibitor | 755 (53%) | 797 (49%) | 0.015 |
| ARB | 366 (26%) | 527 (32%) | <0.001 |
| Diuretic | 950 (67%) | 1152 (71%) | 0.033 |
| Statin | 625 (44%) | 793 (49%) | 0.013 |
| Any anticoagulant* | 280 (20%) | 404 (25%) | <0.001 |
| Warfarin | 280 (20%) | 352 (22%) | 0.199 |
| NOAC | 0 | 62 (4%) | <0.001 |
| Any antiplatelet therapy† | 655 (46%) | 769 (47%) | 0.611 |
| Acetylsalicylic acid | 638 (45%) | 719 (44%) | 0.600 |
| Clopidogrel | 47 (3%) | 84 (5%) | 0.013 |
P values refer to comparisons between patients hospitalised during 2006–2010 and 2011–2015, respectively.
*The sum of the number of patients on warfarin and on NOAC, respectively, may exceed the total number of patients on ‘Any anticoagulant’ as the patients may have switched from one drug to the other during the first year after discharge.
†This also applies for ‘Any antiplatelet therapy’; some patients were treated with dual antiplatelet therapy.
ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; NOAC, new oral anticoagulant.